Page 70 - Senior Link Magazine Winter 2020- Lubbock Online Magazine
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SENIOR RESOURCES
Faith
Over Fear by Kristi Townsen
s we continue to slash assurance that we do not have to Webster’s dictionary describes fear
our way through this live our lives in fear. It doesn’t mean as “the anticipation of misfortune
ACOVID jungle, one thing is we can throw caution to the wind or pain; the state of being afraid;
abundantly clear: this virus is not by being careless and not following something dreaded; anxiety.” We
going away! The question now is, guidelines that the medical don’t want any of those definitions
“How do we choose to deal with it?” professionals have suggested. It to describe us or how we choose to
In the beginning, I anxiously spent simply means that we can live our live our lives. So now when you
a lot of time on my knees, begging lives without fear. My personal wash your hands, instead of singing
God to keep the people I love safe favorite “fear not” verse comes Happy Birthday or the ABC’S, try
and healthy. There is absolutely from Philippians 4:6-7, which states, reciting Philippians 4:6-7. Or maybe,
nothing wrong with prayer, except “Do not be anxious about anything, II Timothy 1:7, which tells us, “For
that mine seemed to be based on but in everything, by prayer and God gave us a spirit, not of fear, but
fear, or if not fear, it was fear’s first petition, with thanksgiving, present of power and love and self-control.”
cousin. As we plod on through the your requests to God. And the That should make the devil want to
jungle, I’ve changed my tone and am peace of God, which transcends stand six feet away!
learning to pray with thanksgiving. all understanding, will guard your
It’s so much more enjoyable to live hearts and your minds in Christ Wearing a mask in public places,
in gratitude and feel assured that, Jesus.” Every time I read that verse, washing our hands routinely, and
if the dreaded virus finds its way to a small sigh escapes me because it social distancing does not mean we
my loved ones, we will be equipped reminds me that God is in control, are living in fear. It just means we
to deal with it. and I love hearing that on a daily are following the rules that officials
basis. have determined will help slow the
There are 365 passages in the spread of the coronavirus. We can
Bible that, in some way, instruct We definitely don’t want fear in all do our part, continue to pray,
us to “have no fear”. This is no the driver’s seat! It will stifle our and choose to live with thanksgiving
coincidence! It means that every confidence, and that’s when we let instead of fear.
day of the year, the most repeated human nature take over (instead
phrase in the Bible gives us of claiming those 365 passages).
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